The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has teased the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over a video that showed him serving food at a party.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday during the commissioning of the New Edo Line Transport Service in Benin City, described Obi's action as a "show of shame" and a calculated attempt to deceive Nigerians into seeing him as a humble man.
In his words,
"This is not where a presidential candidate will begin to serve food. No! No!! How long will he be serving the food? As a president, will he be carrying food and serving? And then Nigerians are laughing. Who told you that is humility?"
The FCT Minister criticized the media and the public for celebrating such actions, stating that it paints a false picture of leadership.
"And you people give audience to that kind of thing. Someone will be telling you that as a presidential candidate, he'll be flying commercial, and you'll believe that's the truth. Which security personnel will allow that?" Wike asked.
He went further to accuse Nigerians of falling for what he described as 'wayo' (trickery), questioning why such public displays were not seen during Obi's time as governor.
"When he was governor, was he serving food? Now that election is coming, he has started again," Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor also backed the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who had earlier cautioned Obi to obtain proper security clearance before visiting the state.
Okpebholo, while addressing supporters at a recent rally, warned that Obi's unannounced visits could pose security risks.
He recalled that Obi's last visit to Edo, during which he donated N15 million to a nursing school, allegedly resulted in unrest that led to the death of four people.
"If Peter Obi wants to come here, he should seek proper security clearance. We cannot guarantee his safety otherwise. If anything happens to him, he'll have himself to blame," Okpebholo had warned.
Supporting the governor's stance, Wike said,
"All I am saying is, if you are coming, tell me because I am here to protect you. You didn't say, 'Don't come.' But people play politics. They give people money to go on television and twist facts."
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